Major Hispanic Organizations Join AARP Efforts To Push For Assisted Living Protections.

Major New York Hispanic organizations have joined AARP to urge the New York State Senate to pass assisted living legislation to protect older persons living in all assisted living facilities. The Hispanic Federation and the Institute for Puerto Rican and Hispanic Elderly are supporting the Senate passage of A.421-B. The adult home industry opposes this legislation.

“The Senate needs to pass the Assembly bill to clearly define assisted living facilities and bring more consumer protections for this type of senior housing,” said Lorraine Cortés-Vázquez, President of the Hispanic Federation. “To make the most popular form of senior housing affordable, our families must first know what services their elders will receive and equally important that the appropriate consumer protections will be provided.”

“Older New Yorkers deserve affordable assisted living with strong consumer protections allowing them to age in place,” said Suleika Cabrera Drinane, President of the Institute for Puerto Rican and Hispanic Elderly. “In view of the fact that the Latino senior population is one of the fastest growing segments in New York, it is also important that assisted living housing be made available in our communities – Senate passage of the Assembly bill helps move towards that goal.”

Assisted living is the fastest growing type of senior housing in the country, costing older New Yorkers between $2,500 and $6,500 per month in private facilities. Yet, in New York State there is no state law that defines assisted living facilities, aging in place or provides standard consumer protections that all assisted living facilities must follow.

“AARP welcomes the support of these two very important organizations in efforts to have the Senate pass an assisted living consumer protection bill,” said Lois Aronstein, AARP New York State Director. “Once we have definitions and consumer protections for assisted living, we will be able to focus on making it more affordable.”

For five years, the Governor and the Legislature have failed to pass an assisted living bill that defines and provides oversight for all assisted living facilities. The unanimously passed Assembly bill provides: a definition of assisted living; uniform admission and discharge policies; strong consumer protections, state oversight; standard contract disclosures; and a comprehensive “Resident’s Bill of Rights.”

Earlier this month, major senior organizations, including the Alzheimer’s Association, the Long Term Care Community Coalition, StateWide Senior Action Council, and the Alliance for Retired Americans joined forces to call on the New York State Senate to pass the assisted living legislation that passed the Assembly.

For more information at http://www.aarp.org